It’s the first day of school. There’s chatter everywhere; friends catch up with their peers while teachers introduce themselves to new students. Deep within those conversations are the new foreign exchange students, giddily anticipating the coming year in their new home.
After traveling hundreds of miles from home, these students not only dominate the stage, field and classroom, but they become core members of daily life at the high school. However, after they return to their home countries, does the experience stay with them?
Lucile Salaun, a resident of Paris, France who attended Bexley during the 2023-24 school year, said she was blown away by the kindness Bexley students showed her.
“The idea of going was stressful; it’s people you don’t know, and it’s a different set of living,” she explained. “As soon as I arriv
ed, everything else disappeared. I started entering the moment, and I completely forgot I was coming from France.”
The feeling of surprise was shared by a fellow foreign exchange student from the 2023-24 school year, Pauline Vidal. Vidal, from Reims, France, said she encountered a common misconception about her experience.
“You would think it was scary for me, but it was not,” Vidal said. “It was so much fun. I was discovering new things, and I enjoyed it so much.”
A 2021-22 exchange student from Lushnjë, Albania, Marsida Hajdari currently attends the Polytechnic University of Tirana. Hajdari explained she went into her year at the high school with uncertainty.
“Sometimes, you come to your host school with low expectations and don’t really expect anyone to talk to you,” she said. “You have to make friends on your own.”
Many foreign exchange students aren’t only going into the year with presumptions about the United States but also for themselves.
Talha Khan, an exchange student during the 2022-23 school year who lives in Islamabad, Pakistan, said he wanted to be an exemplar on more than one level.
“I was not only representing my country, but I was also representing my religion,” Khan explained. “I was one of the few Muslim students in Bexley.”
Once at the school, the exchange students were able to try activities that weren’t as available in their home countries, Khan added.
“I lived a whole lifetime in one year, which is completely different from my personal life,” he said.
Hajdari added she had an immediat
e desire to learn and attend school events.
“I wanted to have an American experience,” she explained. “I wanted to be part of what I saw on TikTok and Instagram.”
Similarly, Khan said every new activity as surreal. His experience felt like something out of a movie, he added.
“I never had thought I’d be experiencing this life that I had only seen on Netflix,” he said.
Salaun said one of the most significant parts of her year was having other kids in her host families, which was a big learning moment.
“I got to experience being an older sister,” Salaun explained. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters in France, so I just came and I had three siblings.”
A memorable moment for Hajdari was prom, and as a foreign exchange student, she was curious of what a traditional American prom would be like.
“We don’t do prom like that in Albania,” she explained. “It was an entire other experience getting ready at your friend’s house, having a date and all of that.”
During their time at Bexley, the foreign exchange students were core members of the high school’s extracurriculars, becoming active members in various clubs and activities.
Vidal said her lacrosse practices became a highlight of her exchange year because of how connected she felt to her teammates.
“It was the best part of my day, going to practice and seeing all my friends and the coaches,” she explained.
Similarly, Khan said his wrestling teammates were like family to him.
“They taught me everything, they helped me out and I did go all the way to districts,” he said.
Hajdari also found a community through extracurricular activities and said she was grateful for her time on the improv team.
“It was out of my comfort zone, but it was one of the best things I did,” she explained.
Salaun said she still enjoys feeling like she is a part of the Bexley community; she is still a member of the swim team group chat.
“I’m not leaving it,” she explained. “They’re going to have to keep me until there isn’t a swim team.”
Vidal added she was a participant in ski club, lacrosse, tennis and the One Act, but she still found time to appreciate every individual moment of her exchange year.
“Every little thing was so huge for me,” she explained. “I took everything I did as one big experience.”
Hajdari said she shared a similar experience as the simple interactions and activities she had throughout the year stuck with her the most.
“I took ceramics, and Ms. Groot would make brownies for everyone on their birthday,” she said. “I think that will be one of my most cherished memories.”
Khan explained he enjoyed even the most unpredictable parts about living in the United States.
“You’re wearing a raincoat one second, the next second it’s sunny and then three seconds after that it’s snowing,” he said.
While comparing her education in both Albania and the United States, Hajdari explained her enthusiasm about the overall school day structure at Bexley.
“I miss having different classes and going from one place to another,” she said. “We stay in the same room and our teachers come to us.”
Khan also made comparisons between his home in Islamabad and his year in Bexley.
“Each has their pros and cons,” he said. “Since I’ve lived through both of them, I can take the best out of the two.”
Vidal said Bexley helped open her mind to new opportunities and gave her a whole new perspective on life.
“I’m looking forward to doing anything that could have an impact on me,” she explained. “I really want to discover new things now.”
Along with Vidal, Salaun shared a similar experience, as she explained Bexley helped her reach her goals. After finding a passion for lacrosse at Bexley, she returned to France determined to keep playing, she added.
“I found someone that is reconstructing the club of France,” she said. “I got my first championship a week ago and I’m trying out for nationals in March.”
Khan said Bexley helped him pursue his educational passions. At the high school, he was able to work with the athletic trainers and learn directly from them about their work at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, he explained.
“My main goal and direction of education has been to the premedical field, and working with them was a very good look into that,” he said.
Outside of the high school, Khan added how much he enjoyed the environment in Bexley and how welcoming everyone in the city was.
“Being from a culture where community is really appreciated, we have very strong relations with our neighbors and our friends; we treat them as best as we can,” he explained. “I had no change in that situation when I came to Bexley.”
Reminiscing about her experience, Hajdari said one of the things she misses most about her exchange year is Bexley’s natural environment.
“I miss going on a walk to Jeffrey Mansion,” she explained. “I used to go with my host dad during the weekends when the weather was right.”
Salaun had a similar mindset when she explained the difficult transition of leaving the high school and returning to France.
“Going back to France was very harsh, for a month and half,” she said. “After my flight back home, I felt pretty bad. It’s just the fact of living this life for a year and then coming back.”
Hajdari explained Bexley taught her how to interact with everyone, even if they are unlike her.
“I learned that people are so different from each other,” she said. “Coming from a small town, you don’t really see that here.”
The American high school experience was like a dream, she added.
Sharing her gratitude for everyone at Bexley, Vidal said her exchange year was unforgettable.
“I’m just really happy I ended up being in Bexley,” she said. “It is my second home now.”